Ann Baum Sakowitz, mother of Houston socialite Lynn Wyatt and matriarch of the family whose specialty stores were a Houston fixture for decades, died Monday at home. She was 96.

Sakowitz was as comfortable with world leaders as she was with cowboys and enjoyed gardening at the East Texas ranch she shared with her husband, Bernard Sakowitz, until his death in 1981, said her son, Robert T. Sakowitz, of Houston.

“She would sit and shell peas and then she'd can them,” he said. Sakowitz also made pickled okra and jalapeno jelly, which she gave to friends and later sold at the family stores' Tastemaker Shops, her son said.

Known for her beauty and charm, she was offered a film contract in the late 1930s by producer Louis B. Mayer, but her husband objected, her son said.

She took an interest in the family business and enjoyed helping her husband shop for items around the world, especially in the 1950s and 1960s, Robert Sakowitz said.

Chain closed in 1990

At its height, the chain had 18 stores, some in other cities. The downtown Houston store at Main and Dallas Streets was known for its white marble exterior, while the newer one at Westheimer and Post Oak was part of the suburban push that led to development of the Galleria. The chain went out of business in 1990.

A year later, Douglas Wyatt, one of Ann Sakowitz's grandsons, sued Robert Sakowitz, claiming he had enriched himself at the expense of other heirs of Bernard Sakowitz.

A jury found in Robert Sakowitz's favor, but Judge Pat Gregory, who presided over the trial, set aside the jury verdict. Sakowitz then filed and got a federal court injunction stopping the retrial, based on allegations of bad faith against the judge. The case then settled.

Ann Sakowitz maintained a deep interest in Houston's civic affairs and cultural life, her son said.

She was a founding board member of Houston's Society for the Performing Arts, which community leaders formed in 1966 to help bring audiences to the new Jones Hall downtown. Ann Sakowitz served eight years as president and remained on the board until her death.

Joe Peck, a fellow Performing Arts board member for 44 years, said Sakowitz left an indelible mark on the organization and on the arts in Houston.

In the early 1970s, Sakowitz was instrumental in persuading local corporate executives to help fund a visit by Russia's Bolshoi Ballet, Peck recalled.

Karl Kilian, who joined the society's board in 1976, said Sakowitz was good-natured and conveyed a sense of quiet authority.

“She had such a sense of civic responsibility,” said Kilian, longtime proprietor of Brazos Bookstore and now public programs director at the Menil Collection. “She saw it as a pleasure to do something good in the city.”

She served six years as the YWCA's public relations chairwoman and was named by the Chronicle as one of the Best Dressed Women of Houston in 1984.

Born July 28, 1913, in San Antonio, she moved to Houston in the early 1930s. She lived with an older sister while attending Rice Institute (now Rice University), her son said.

Sakowitz met her future husband at a party. After a “whirlwind” courtship, the couple married in July 1933, their son said. She delighted in telling jokes and anecdotes and spoke several languages well enough to get by, including Spanish and Italian, her son said. She also loved to play poker, gin rummy and mahjong, he said.

Daughter's memories

Lynn Wyatt said she drew inspiration from her mother's ability to find joy in life.

Afflicted with scoliosis since her 50s, Sakowitz did not complain, her daughter said.

“Her philosophy was, ‘It could always be worse.' When she got to the point where she couldn't walk well, or couldn't sit in a chair for a long time, she would say, ‘It could be worse,' ” Wyatt said. “It's a great way to look at life, no matter what.”

In addition to her children, survivors include eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. today at Congregation Beth Israel, 5600 N. Braeswood.